Weft replenishing loom



Aug. 4, 1931.

c. E. BROWN 1,817,124

WEFT REPLENI SHING LOOM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 i In- "M11" "W J' Q? I JNVE/VTUR CL YDE E. BROWN AW-URNE Y5 Aug. 4, 1931. Q 5 BROWN 1,817,124

" WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed April 10, 1950 1 sneetssfleet 2' F1511 i 737 7 4 g Aug. 4, 1931. c. E. BROWN 1,817,124

WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed April 10, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z O [D A 77'UPNE Y5 Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNITET) STATES PATIENT oFFicE DE email as. m ws? KNOWLESLLQQM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A

Asszcnon TO onoivrriron & CORPORATION or nnriinmsnme LOOM it c'ot'to'nfo'r woolen fabric. It is apparent that the first kindof bobbin will be exhausted much 'more rapidly'than the second and that many more of the first kind will be required for replenishment.

- It is the generalobject of my invention to provide ai'nulti-cell magazine so constructed that 's'evralcompartnients may-be allotted to the same kind or color jof'bobbin, and that bobbins 7 may be transferred successively from these several compartments when eX- ha'us tion of that particular kind of bobbin is indicated. I I M d To the accomplishment of this object, I providea coi'istructi'on by which the operation of the 's'o-calledfcolor slide is progressively v x-tease that sncessive'transferspf the same kind 'or color will take place from different com artments My invention further relates to arrangemeats-and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularlypointc'd oirt in the appended claims.

A preferred form ofthe-invention is shown ii'rthe drawings, in Which Y 5 Fig. 1 is a sideelev'a-tion of parts of a loom embodying my impro ements, the drop boxes being shown in section; I I I Fig.2 is an enlarged lan' iew'of the mechanismfor varying the operation of the color slide, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig.3is a side elevation of the parts shown i i 2:; i

4 is aplah view ofthe magazineclooking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 1;

'A tiicititn med A'piil 10,

1930. Serial No. 443,210.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing successive positions of the color slide, looking intlie direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation the magazine looking in the direction of the arrow 8 in Fig. i;

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional front elevation, taken along the line 99 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic front elevation showing certain actuating connections; and

Fig. 11 is a detail side elevation of certain parts, taken along the line 1111 in Fig. 2.

I have shown my invention as embodied in a loom of the type in which two drop shuttle boxes are provided at each side of the loom.

My improved loom comprises a frame 10 in which a lay 11 is mounted to oscillate on a rock shaft 12 in the usual manner. Drop boxes 13 are mounted on the usual litter rod 14 which is link-connected to a litter lever 15 having a cam roll 16 at its rear ciitheiigagcd by a cam 17 on 'a cam shaft 18 which makes one'revolutioii for each two picks of the 100111.

A'ina'gazine M is mounted at one side oftlie loom and is'shown herein as having four com partnients 20 l and each of which is'ada'pted to contain a pluralit'yoi bobbins B or B" and which compartments are normally held in raisedp'osition by s 'irings Projections 22 at the ends 01 the com} "'t inents 20 are positioned for selective engagement bysuitable actuating mechanism to be described. fW hen one of the projections is thus engaged and depressed. the corresponding compartment 20 will be moved downward into the path of a transfer-er 2% (Fig. 1) mounted at the upper end of a lever 25 swinging about a fixed pivot 26.

The lever 25 is connected by a rod 27 to a cam plate 28. The cam plate 28 has a segmental slotor opening 29 therein terminat no; in an oll'set portion 30. A. stud 31 extends into the slot 29 and is mounted on an actuating arm 32 which is pivoted on a bracket 33 secured on the frame 10.

An arm 35 is connected to move the arm 32 and is provided with a cam roll 36 engaged by a double cam 37 on a horizontal cam shaft 38 which is gear-connected to rotate at equal speed with the cam shaft 18 but in the opposite direction.

The cam plate 28 is also provided with a lower segmental surface 40, resting upon the end of a positioning arm 41 secured to a cross rod 42. Under normal running conditions, the arm 41 supports the cam plate 28 in lowered position, so that the stud 31 oscillates freely in the segmental slot 29. The arm 32 is moved to its rearward position by a suitable spring 44.

Detecting mechanism and connections The cross rod 42 extends to the weft detecting side of the loom, as indicated in Fig. 10, and is provided with an arm 45 connected by a link 46 to the outer end of a racking lever or chopper 47. A link 48 is pivoted at 49 to an intermediate point on the chopper 47, and at a by the weft detecting mechanism indicated generally atD, the arm 56 is moved into the path of the swinging end of the chopper 47, and the point of engagement of the parts 47 and 56 then becomes the pivot around. which the chopper 47 thereafter swings.

Then the point 49 on the lever 47 is then pulled downward by the cam 52 and link 48, the link 46 will be depressed, rocking the shaft 42 and raising the cam plate 28. This places the stud 31 in the offset portion 30 of the slot 29. The parts are so timed that the stud 31 will be at the right hand end of the slot 29 when this raising movement of the cam plate occurs.

An arm 50 (Fig. 1) is secured to the cross rod 42 and is connected by a link 51 to a swin ing member 53 (Fig. 9) loosely pivoted upon a color slide shaft 54 which is mounted in bearings on the magazine M and extends T from front to back of the magazine.

The member 53 is provided with a slot or recess 55 formed by a projection from the upper edge thereof, which recess is adapted to receive a finger 56 (Fig. 1) projecting laterally from a collar 57 secured to the color slide shaft 54.. The shaft 54 is provided with fingers 60 and 61 (Fig. 4) adapted to selectively engage the projections 22 and depress the magazine compartments 20. Mechanism 1. to be described is provided for moving the color slide shaft 54 axially to causeone or the other of the fingers 60 or 61 to engage with a selected projection 22.

Through these connections, movement of the cross rod 42 under the control of the weft Selective mechanism The mechanism for determiningthe particular magazine compartment'fronl which a bobbin is to be transferred'is best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The color slide shaft 54 is provided with a coil spring64 (Fig. 1) engaging a collar 65 on the shaft 54 and tending to move the shaft 54 to the left as viewed in Fig. 1. A collar (Fig. 2) is loosely mounted 'on the shaft 54 between collars 71 secured thereto and the collar 70 is provided with a forwardly projecting stud 72 and a rearwardly projecting stud 73. r The stud 73 extends into an elongated horizontal slot 74 in a bracket 75 secured to the loom frame 10. Engagement of the stud 73 in the slotted bracket 75 prevents angular movement of the collar 7 0 about the axis of the shaft 54 but permits sliding movement of the collar with the shaft.

The forwardly projecting stud 72 on the collar 70 engages acam 77 mounted on a fixed stud 78 and having a ratchet 79 and holding disc 80 secured thereto and rotatable therewith. A holding pawl 81 is mounted on a fixed pivot 82 and is pressed yieldingly into the notches .of the holding disc 80 by a coil spring 83. y

A feed pawl 85 (Figs. 2 and3) is pivoted at 86 to the end of a feed lever 87 which extends rearward over the shaft 54 and then extends downward to a hub 88, pivoted on a fixed stud 89. A laterally projecting arm 90 of the feed lever 87 is connected bya link 91 (Fig.1) to a'stud 92 fixed in the side of the lifter lever 15. Through these connections every downward movement of therdrop boxes 13' will be accompanied by a feeding movement of the pawl 85 and ratchet 79.

It is not desired, however, that the ratchet wheel 79 should. be advanced by every shift of the boxes and accordingly a shield or guard 94 is loosely pivoted on the stud 72 previously described, which shield when in the raised position indicated in Fig. 3 prevents the pawl 85 from engaging the'next tooth of the ratchet 79.. A

The shield 94 has a rearwardlyprojecting offset contact member 95 (Fig. 2) resting'on' an elongated collar 96 on the color slideshaft 54. lVhenever the cam collar 96 is rocked with the shaft S'f'b) the arm 50 and link 51, 1) the cam 96 depresses the shield 54- during the rearward movement of the pawl 85, so that the pawl will engage the next successive tooth and advance the ratchet 79 and cam 77.

Operation Having described the details of construction of my improved weft replenishing mechanism, the operation is as follows The loom as shown herein is designed to shift the drop boxesat every pick, the cam 17 raising or lowering the boxes at each half revolution. The parts are so timed that the feed lever 87 is swung to its extreme forward position whenever the boxes are lowered.

The upper shuttle S carries the fine or special yarn contained in the single forward magazine compartment and the lower shuttle S carries the coarse or regular yarn contained in the three additional magazine compartments.

When the upper shuttle S is in running position, the lever 87 is in extreme forward position. in which position it engages the rear- Wardly projecting stud 7 3 of the collar 7Q on the color slide shaft 54 and forces the shaft 54 forward to the position indicated in Fig.

' 4, with the finger 66 positioned above the pro jection 22 of the front or special magazine compartment.

If a transfer has been indicated, the stud 31 (Fig. 1) will be positioned in the upright slot 30 of the cam plate 28 and the color slide shaft 54 will. be rocked through the connection 51 to depress the forward or special magazine compartment ust prior to the rearward movement of the transferrer 24.

Accordingly, a fine or special bobbin B will be transferred to the upper shuttle S whenever weft exhaustion is indicated with the upper shuttle in running position. During this transfer, the stud 72 (Fig. 1) on the collar 70 will be spaced forwardly from the cam 77.

On each alternate pick, the drop boxes are raised to bring the lower shuttle S to running position and the lever 87 is swung rearward, giving the pawl 85 an idle or rearward stroke which is followed by a feeding stroke. Such rearward movement; of the lever 87 releases the stud 72 and permits it to engage the cam 7 l. The angular position of the cam 77 then determined the extent of rearward movement of the color slide shaft 54, as indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

If the stud 72 engages the high part of the i cam 77, as in Fig. 5, the finger 61 is positioned over the projection 22 belonging to the third magazine compartment, countmg from the front rearward.

If the stud 72 engages the intermediate 28ft of the cam 77. as in Fig. 6. the fin er 60 l I s. a:

'61 enga es the projection 22 of the fourth or rearmost magazine compartment.

The ratchet 79 has six teeth so that the cam 77 makes one complete rotation for six weft carrier transfers and positions the color slide shaft 54 to remove a bobbin from each of the three rear magazine compartments twice during each revolution of the cam 77. The replenishment of the coarse or regular bobbins B is thus evenly distributed among the three rearward compartments containing this type of bobbin.

If the design is such that one fine or special bobbin B lasts substantially as long as three of thecoai'se or regular bobbins B-,the four compartments of the magazine will be dcpleted at substantially'equal rates.

"It will be understood that the shield 0r guard 94 is in operative position at all times exceptwhe'n a transfer occurs and that the pawl 85 is in rearward or feeding position only during transfer to the lower shuttle S. Accordingly the cam 77 will be advanced only after transfer and furthermore will not be advanced after transfer to the upper shuttle S.

While Ihave shown my invention applied to apick-and-pick two-shuttle loom, this disclosure is to be taken as illustrative only, features of the invention being capable of broader application.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a double shuttle weft replenishing loom", a multi-cell magazine, and means to cause the lowermost bobbins in a plurality of the compartments of said magazine to be advanced to transfer position in predeterminedorder for transfer to one of the shuttles and to cause the lowermost bobbin in an additional compartment to be advanced to transfer position for transfer to a second shuttle.

2. In a double shuttle weft replenishing loom, a multi-cell magazine, and means to cause the lowermost bobbins in three of the compartments of said magazine to be advanced to transfer position in predetermined order for transfer to the same shuttle, and to cause the bobbins in a fourth compartment to be transferred to a second shuttle.

3. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality'of shuttles, a multi-cell magazine, means to feed a bobbin from a given compartment of said magazine to oneof said shuttles, and s'e'lectiye means to feed bobbins from each of several other compartments of said ibs magazine, a color slide shaft, means to give said shaft a plurality of successive operative axial positions in a predetermined sequence to initiate successive deliveries of bobbins from a plurality of magazine cells to a single shuttle, and means to give said color slide shaft an additional operative position to initiate delivery of a bobbin from an additional magazine cell to a second shuttle.

5. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes, a multicell magazine, a color slide shaft, means to move said shaft axially at each shifting movement of the shuttle boxes, and means to give said shaft successive operative axial positions in a predetermined sequence for a sinvgle position of the shuttle boxes, said means including a rotatable cam and means to in termittently advance said cam.

6. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes, a multicell magazine, a color slide shaft mounted for axial'and angular movement thereon, for means to determine a plurality of axial positions of said shaft for a single position of said shifting shuttle boxes, said means comprising a cam rotatably mounted adjacent said color slide shaft and feeding means to intermittently advance said cam angularly.

7. In a weft replenishing loom, a multi-cell magazine, a color slide shaft mounted for axial and angular movement thereon, and

means to determine the axial position of said shaft, said means comprising a rotatably mounted cam, and feeding means to intermittently advance said cam angularly, said feeding means also determining an addition- 211 axial position of said color slide shaft.

8. In a weft replenishing loom having two shuttles alternately and regularly rendered active, a multi-cell magazine, means to transfer a bobbin from one certain compartment only of said magazine to one of said shuttles, and means to transfer abobbin from any one of several additional compartments to the other shuttle.

, 9. In a Weft replenishing loom-having two shuttles alternately. and regularly rendered active, a multi-cell magazine, means to transfer a bobbin from one certain compartment only of said magazine to one of said shuttles, and means to transfer a bobbin from any one of several additional compartments to the other shuttle, the bobbins being drawn from said additional c'o-mpartments'in a predetermined sequence.

10. In a weft replenishing drop box loom, a multi-cell magazine having a color slide shaft, a collar on said shaft, a stud on said col- 'lar, a cam rotatably mounted on a fixed pivot, a ratchet for said cam,a feed pawl, a feed lever, and means to move said feed lever simultaneously with raising or lowering movement of the drop boxes, whereby said cam is intermittently advanced.

11. The combination in a loom as set forth in claim 10, in which the collar has a second stud engaged by the feed lever at the end of its feeding stroke and by which engagement said first stud is spaced away from said cam.

V In testimony whereof I have hereunto af fixed my signature. 7

CLYDE E. BROWN. 

